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Dimora Denies Wrongdoing

Embattled Cuyahoga Commissioner Jimmy Dimora denied any wrongdoing Thursday in a statement before a packed meeting. Ideastream®'s Kymberli Hagelberg has this report.

Jimmy Dimora entered the county meeting room through the back door. He was 20 minutes late and didn’t take questions.

DIMORA: I am still shocked and stunned over what has occurred over these past several days.

Three days earlier, FBI agents carted away boxes of papers, computers—even a refrigerator from - from Dimora’s office and home. The Commissioner and Democratic party chief is suspected of using his position to influence court cases, hiring, and building projects, accepting favors from company’s with county contracts, and using his office for party business. He denies all of it.

DIMORA: I know in my heart that I have done nothing wrong to warrant this kind of an investigation.

Colleagues Tim Hagan and Peter Lawson Jones declined questions, too, but made their own statements.

Hagan said commissioners would accept any consequences of the investigation, and he had a message for county workers.

HAGAN: Public service is an honorable profession. Hold your head high.

Dimora has not been charged with a crime. When normal business resumed, he did not recuse himself from votes—including one to amend to a contract that was among the documents of interest in the FBI search.

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